


The Crumbling Crown

by MissLiveByThePen



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Cardverse, Collars, Dom/sub Undertones, Domestic Discipline, Empire!England, Espionage, F/M, FutureUSUKUS, Gen, Kink Meme, M/M, Magic, Magical Suppression, MinorFrUK, Mystery, Politics, Rebellion, Reverse-Cardverse (Queens Rule), Spanking, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-09-18 00:10:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16984416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissLiveByThePen/pseuds/MissLiveByThePen
Summary: "You can't do this, Alfred! You're going to ruin everything," Arthur shouted from the doorway, his hands clenched around a staff and magic whirling around his form.Alfred glanced down to the sword in his hand and to the Spadian clock stretched across the throne, "No, I'm going to save everyone. I'm going to fix this mess."---------In a society where the Queens of the four great Suits have stripped the Kings of their power, one King faces his greatest challenge: love his Queen or embrace his true power.





	1. Tattoos in the Night

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this on the kink meme back in 2014. It's sat on my computer half finished for nearly four years, but I decided to finish it. I've had the outline completed for nearly two years now and I'm so excited to let everyone experience the end. I hope you all enjoy this story.

“A hundred years ago, in the year of our Lord, seventeen hundred and forty-three, a great and bloody war erupted over all the lands of the suits. The ancient kings, driven to madness by their own bloodlust and powers, were forced to have their power stripped by their reluctant war-weary queens. The four queens of Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades gathered together and bound the magic of the king’s mark to prevent the madness and bloodlust of the king’s magic from controlling their minds. Since those times, the queens have ruled and harmony has triumphed. Our land is at peace.” 

When Alfred F. Jones first heard the Sermon of the Queens Triumph, he was only ten-years-old and barely came up to his father’s waist. There was a ceremony once a year in every kingdom to commemorate the day those ancient queens bound the magic of the king’s mark and saved the world from destruction. Feasts and fireworks, circuses and sweets, anything and everything could be found in the joyous streets on that day. Alfred was young enough at the time not to understand why his parents made him wear a blue Spade Rose in his hair, or why his feet were wrapped his shoes of silk. He didn’t understand why his hair needed to be cut that morning, or why he wore his special holiday suit to the carnival. He didn’t understand why his mother gave him two baths that morning or why she insisted he wear his father’s cologne. Alfred F. Jones was young and didn’t understand that not everyone woke up with a cracking crown etched onto their wrist.

Of all the fanfare that day and all the things he didn’t understand, what he remembered most of all was his father. That dazzling blue naval blazer adorned with shiny silver and gold medals. His hands scarred from repeated use of his favored cutlass. His father was the Queen’s most trusted captain and ensured Spades’ superiority over all the other suits on the large ocean that separated the four kingdoms. The Jones’ family was favored over all the other nobles and young Alfred knew it from the looks others threw his family when they passed them in their carriage. 

Alfred adored his father. 

He trusted the man with his life. 

Perhaps that’s why he tried to put on a brave face when his big, strong father took his hand and walked him up a deep blue carpet. The crowd parted for them, allowing Alfred and his father to pass without much trouble. The more the crowd parted, though, the easier it became for the short boy to see where they were going. His blue eyes widened in shock as he looked up at his father in confusion. 

The new Queen, the sixteen-year-old Prince Arthur, stood at the base of his throne. Spades and thorns outlined in the familiar blue of the kingdom and tipped in bronze glinted in the sunshine from the top of the throne. It looked dangerous, but also called to him. Suddenly, Alfred felt very confused and very upset. Arthur’s father, the late Queen, had passed just a few weeks ago, leaving behind the prince to become Queen. Alfred was young and didn’t follow politics. He didn’t know that Queen Arthur was a fierce and head-strong man who never backed down, but Alfred did know that his best friend’s mother worked in the castle, this Queen was said to be quick tempered and cruel in his punishments. Why was he being brought to the Queen? He hadn’t done anything wrong! He was a good boy. He even listened to his mother when she forbade him from going outside the play this morning.

Alfred squirmed just a little, trying to get his arm out of his father’s grip. The man only tightened his hold and hissed for Alfred to stop making a spectacle of himself. The Queen was watching. He wasn’t pleased with what he saw if the frown on his face was any indication. Fear colored Alfred’s eyes as he found himself being dragged closer to the Queen, especially when his father lifted him onto the elevated stage. A soft, ‘be strong, Alfred’, was whispered into his ear as his father pushed him forward and the priest grabbed his arm in a tight grip. 

“On this commemoration day, we have a special treat. The Gods have blessed us with finding the new mark so shortly after the late Queen’s passing. We’ll witness a new reign in the Kirkland line with the binding of the newest monarchs.” 

Those big words were thrown at Alfred, but they held little meaning to the child. He found his mother in the crowd. He wanted to go to her. Why was she crying? He flinched violently when he was snapped out of his thoughts by a heavy robe being pushed onto his shoulders. There was blood on the sleeve and Alfred suddenly felt sick. What was going on? A sword was given to Queen Arthur, who looked at it with deep appreciation, but Alfred was only given a collar around his neck. It choked him dreadfully as the priest tightened it. He felt so weak with it on. Alfred wanted to curl up and take a nap with his mother. 

“The Gods have blessed this great kingdom.” The priest called out to the crowds, grinning as they cheered. “With this drink, we bind these two, and Spades will remain superior for the rest of her days.”

The goblet was given to Arthur first, who drank deeply, his green eyes fluttering closed at the taste. The priest pushed it to Alfred, tipping his head back when he refused to open his mouth. His mother told him to never drink after anybody, Queen or not. His nose was pinched and he was forced to drink the sweet wine. It made his stomach hurt and his head woozy. His arm, though, the mark on his arm burned intensely, turning a bright blue color before fading again. It ached acutely and Alfred found tears rolling down his chubby cheeks. 

The priest turned to the crowd, holding Arthur’s hand and jerking Alfred close enough to hold his too. “Long live Queen Arthur! Long live Spades! Long live King Consort Alfred!” 

The crowd repeated it, Arthur’s chest puffed out as he listened to his people cheer him on. The priest ushered the two newly crown monarchs towards the carriage. It would take them to the castle of Spades, where Alfred would live out the rest of his days as King Consort. The tears didn’t stop rolling down his face as he watched his little family become further and further away from him. He sniffled, ignoring the Queen that sat across from him in the carriage. That is, until a gentle hand wiped his tears away with a handkerchief. 

“There now, no more tears, lad. I know this is scary, but you’ll be fine.” The first words Arthur spoke were kinder than Alfred expected. The Queen just clucked his tongue as he dried up those silly tears. “You’ll get to live in a big castle and have the best tutors and food around. You’re the King Consort. Your entire life will be filled with leisure and happiness.”

Alfred just sniffled again, jerking his head back as he refused to look at the Queen. “I want to go home. I don’t wanna live at the castle. I want my mother.”

Queen Arthur scoffed, rolling his eyes as the carriage stopped. He stood up and climbed down without any help from the guards. He turned before he allowed Alfred to get down and grabbed the ten-year-olds chin in a tight grip. “I’ve tried to be reasonable, but you’re trying my patience. You are home now, Alfred. Get used to it.” He snapped his fingers in Alfred’s face to get his attention, to hone in on what he was saying. Arthur reached down and tugged the collar still on the boy’s neck. “This right here marks you as mine. Remember that very well, lad, because I’m not a kind master to those who disobey my orders.” Arthur released Alfred and turned on his heel, his robe fluttering behind him. “Take him somewhere, Yao. I have work to do.”

Alfred stood in the doorway of the carriage, blue eyes swimming with confused tears. A tall, black haired man sighed as he lifted the young King Consort into his arms. Decorum would frown upon it, but Yao had never been one for stuffy rules away. “Forgive him, your highness; he’s under a lot of pressure lately. You and I will just stay on his good side, yes?” He shifted Alfred’s weight and carried him further into the castle. “I suppose we haven’t been introduced yet, I’m Yao Wang, Jack of Spades. You and I will become good friends, yes? How about we find something for you to eat? The maids will spoil you rotten.”

The young King Consort nodded his head despite the sickness in his stomach. His eyes trailed down to the mark still etched into his arm. 

The crown continued to crumble.


	2. Visitors in the Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Six years have passed, but Alfred still doesn't understand his true role in life. New faces are introduced and there's growing tension between the kingdoms.

Six years later....

“Alfred!” Yao called out as he walked into the garden with displeasure plain on his face. He’d been searching for the wayward sixteen-year-old for nearly half an hour. They were supposed to be in their finest robes, standing with Arthur to greet the other suits for the Suit’s Council, not scattered and unprepared with moments to go before the others arrived. Yao sighed, knowing he wouldn’t be able to protect Alfred from his punishment this time. The boy was getting far too old to be acting so spoiled. 

Every two years the monarchs would gather in a kingdom to hold meetings to rewrite treaties and forge better alliances between the kingdoms. It was a way to ensure peace and strengthen ties. Of course, on a darker note, it was also an excuse to flaunt individual wealth and power. The Queens enjoyed flaunting the control they possessed over their subjects, their kingdoms, and most importantly, their King Consorts.

This year was the first time in twenty years that Spades would be graced with hosting their brethren. It was also the first time Alfred would be introduced to the Suits. He was growing a little more every day and soon enough he would be called upon to fulfill his true position. That is, if Yao didn’t kill the teenager first. Their King Consort had to be there, or it would make Arthur look weak. If there was one thing Arthur hated, it was being made to look like he was weak. Worse of all, Alfred’s obvious disobedience was truly beginning to capture the Queen’s attention, it wouldn’t bode well if any of the Queens thought Arthur couldn’t handle his King Consort. Strong King Consorts were punished severely. Yao didn’t want to see the boy broken so young. 

“Alfred Kirkland! Come out right this instant young man! Arthur is waiting for us and you’re already in enough trouble as it is.” The black haired man sighed loudly, reaching up to rub his temples to quell down the migraine threatening to brew. Where was that boy? “Alfred! I’m going to say this one last time. If you don’t come here this instant, I’ll –“

“Up here, Yao.” A young voice called from above him, the slight cracking in the boy’s voice telling the Jack he’d found his wayward King Consort. Yao jerked his head up, taking a quick step back to see Alfred perched on the lowest branch, his feet dangling off the side as he looked down at the Jack. 

“Alfred,” Yao let out a deep sigh of frustration as he pointed to the ground, “get down here right this instant. Your clothes are filthy and the carriages will arrive in moments!” The Jack clucked his tongue in disapproval at the twigs in Alfred’s hair and the dirt on his robe. He discreetly noted the gap between the bottom of Alfred’s trousers and the tops of his boots. Yao sighed, knowing he’d need to get another tailor to the castle. Alfred was growing taller every day. “You know this is an important day, Your Highness. Why must you go off causing trouble? Arthur will punish you for this and I can’t stop it this time. You’ve gone too far. ”

Alfred shrugged as he leaned back against the trunk of the tree, pulling one leg up to rest his chin on his knee. The teenager was rather proud of himself for managing to do that without losing his balance. He was getting a little better every day. “Doesn’t matter,” he drawled, turning his eyes away from the Jack, “Arthur’s gonna be mad at me no matter what I do.” Alfred rubbed his cheek with the palm of his hand, trying to make the handprint on his face blend in with the natural hue of his cheek. His punishment for asking Arthur why he couldn’t sit in on a war council meeting after the Queen ordered him to bathe and dress for the evening festivities. “He’s got a big fuckin’ stick up his ass.”

“Language, Alfred.” Yao warned quickly, tapping his foot against the ground. Firstly, it wasn’t becoming of the King Consort to have a foul mouth. Secondly, the Queen ruled and Alfred had to respect that. He liked the King Consort, but he was growing tired of the same arguments. The same fires he always had to put out. Hopefully, it was just the age. Alfred used to be such a sweet little boy. “You can’t speak about the Queen of Spades like that. You can’t question his actions or decrees. It’s not your place.”

“It’s never my place!” Alfred shouted down at Yao, scaring a flock of birds from deeper within the garden. The humiliation of being slapped in front of Arthur’s advisers still foremost in his mind as the volume of his voice increased. “That’s all I’ve been told since the very first day I was brought here. I can’t leave the castle. I can’t have my family over. I can’t sit in on the war council. I can’t even sit in on Arthur’s advisers. I can’t do anything I want.” The trembling teenager exhaled loudly through his nose, his knuckles white as he gripped the fabric of his trousers. “I can’t ask Arthur questions. I can’t give an alternate solution. I can’t have a voice.” It frustrated Alfred to no end. Before his marriage to the Queen of Spades, Alfred had been a rambunctious child with an abundance of natural curiosity. Becoming King Consort had put a damper on that. “Good King Consorts are seen, not heard.” Alfred whispered bitterly, recalling Arthur’s exact words from their morning argument. 

Ahh, so the maids weren’t just making up stories. Alfred and Arthur had truly gotten into an altercation that ended badly for the younger blond. The Jack sighed softly, “Arthur doesn’t always mean what he says. You know he’s just stressed from the preparations. He’s proud to show you off tonight and that’s why he wanted everything to be perfect.” Yao insisted trying to soothe Alfred’s wounded pride. After five long years of dealing with the boy, Yao learned easily that compliments brought out a better mood in the royal. “Besides, you know Arthur listens to your ideas. Remember how proud he was just last week when you helped him with the fundraiser for the Orphans of Spades? It was your idea to sell off the sweet cakes from Arthur’s birthday festival.” When Alfred actually cracked a small smile, Yao knew he’d won. Now all he had to do was get Alfred dressed once more. “I promise, Your Highness, your place here only seems bad because you’re upset. Now, come down this instant, there’s still time for you to get ready.”

Alfred begrudgingly listened to the Jack, knowing there were a few specks of truth in his words. Arthur had been proud of him for coming up with the idea. He’d even given Alfred an extra ice pop despite how much he bitched that they were nothing but sugar. “He still hit me this morning, Yao. I didn’t deserve that, right?”

“Were you back talking him again?” The Jack asked, arms crossed at his chest. He didn’t even need a truthful answer, because the young blond’s face told him everything he needed to know. 

“Well, yes, but-“Alfred tried to explain, but he was cut off by Yao. 

“He is your Queen, Alfred. He decides how you’ll be punished when you need to be.” The black haired man said with as much authority as he could put into his voice. “You wear his collar around your neck and that makes you his property.” Yao’s eyes softened as Alfred reached for the collar and wrapped his fingers around the thick leather. “It’s a strange thought right now because you’re too young for him to truly take his proper position as your Queen. One day, though, you’ll have to grow up and behave. Come now, down we go.”

Maybe it was hearing Yao acknowledge the ever present collar that made Alfred listen, but whatever it was, the King Consort scooted closer to the trunk of the tree. It took him a moment, but he used his legs to climb down, dropping to the garden floor with a soft ‘umph’. “Do you really think,” Alfred asked sheepishly as he walked over to stand beside the Jack, “that we can freshen up before the carriages arrive?”

Yao chuckled, pressing his hand against Alfred’s lower back and ushering him into the castle. “I think if you hurry we just might be able to surprise Arthur.” He reached up and tugged a stray leaf from Alfred’s hair, letting it drop to the floor. “Go on. I’m right behind you. Make sure the maids get those twigs out of your hair! You’re not meeting any of the Queens looking like a ruffian.” 

“Whatever you say, Yao!” While Alfred did make extra sure to clean all the twigs out of his hair, there was still no quelling the brewing unease inside his chest. He could understand being punished for disrespect, but had his arguing been true disrespect? Wasn’t he allowed to question the Queen? Was he allowed to punish Arthur for starting the argument? Alfred knew the real answer just as well as he knew the Sermon of the Queen’s Triumph. He was second class and truly didn’t understand why. Every day he looked down at his wrist and watched the crown crack and fade a little more. 

He tried not to think about it too much.

The maids caused a great fuss when Alfred was ushered into his bed chambers. He’d been gifted rooms just down from Arthur’s own. In the days before the Great War the Queens would reside in the smaller chambers so they would be easily accessible. Now it was the same procedure, just reversed roles. Only one door separated Alfred from his Queen, but the young King Consort wouldn’t understand those implications until much later. 

Once he was dressed in the outfit Arthur picked for him to wear, a tasteful royal blue tunic with black trousers, Alfred peeked down at his wrist to find an entire arch of the crown had disintegrated. It ached and had been since Arthur punished him earlier in the day. Alfred rubbed his wrist, sighing at the warmth pulsing underneath his skin. Once he became aware of it shortly after his ninth birthday, he thought it was just his pulse, but he didn’t remember his entire wrist pulsing before the tattoo. The maids held out his robe and he slipped his arms into the deep purple monstrosity. He was growing taller, but he still wasn’t tall enough to keep the tail of the robe from dragging on the ground. It seemed like nothing he did was right. He couldn’t even grow fast enough to fit his proper attire. He tugged the sleeve of his robe over the mark, wishing the warmth away. He didn’t want to meet Arthur with such thoughts on his mind. 

Speaking of Arthur, Alfred jerked his eyes away from his wrist when a series of knocks sounded on his door. He always knew it was the man. Something deep in Alfred’s bones told him whenever he was near. The knocks sounded again, making him startle a little. He couldn’t very well ignore the Queen. Alfred was surprised the man didn’t just open the door. At least he did give Alfred some privacy. Picking up the ends of his robe, he walked to the door, opening it just as Arthur breezed in. 

“Good, you’re finally ready.” Arthur snapped, turning on his heel to evaluate Alfred’s appearance. “You will be on your best behavior, Alfred.” The Queen warned, his green eyes boring into Alfred’s own with the intensity of a burning flame. They promised something unpleasant if the younger blond wasn’t on his best behavior. He snapped his fingers, smirking as a maid brought a thick silver band to the Queen. Alfred realized fairly quickly that it was the King Consort’s diadem. A slight thrill ran over him as Arthur carefully placed the band around his head, adjusting it until he was pleased with the way it sat there. “You’re not some little boy anymore. This is your first introduction to the other monarchs. It’s important that it goes well.” 

“Why?” Alfred asked curiously, wrinkling his nose as Arthur stepped forward to adjust the collar around his neck. The diadem marked him as a Spade, but that collar would always mark him as Arthur’s. If Alfred were honest with himself, he didn’t mind the collar. He just wished he could control it. Arthur always made it too tight and Alfred found it difficult to breath. He couldn’t remove the collar or a painful shock would shoot through his body. It wasn’t fair. “What does it matter? I’m a monarch of Spades not of the other kingdoms.”

Arthur scoffed as he licked his thumb and furiously wiped Alfred’s cheek to remove some dirt. “Have you not been paying attention in your history lessons?” The Queen asked, using that same thumb to attempt to bully that cowlick to lie flat. It was of no use and bounced back up nearly instantly. “The kingdoms rely on a balance of power. The Queens keep that balance by exercising control of their magic. The same magic that binds you to me.” He cupped Alfred’s chin, tilting his head from side-to-side to make sure he’d gotten all the little imperfections. “You need to take better care of your skin. It’s starting to blemish.”

Alfred’s cheeks turned a soft pink color as he jerked his chin away from Arthur’s overcritical eye. He couldn’t help that his face was oily. The maids had touched up the worse marks with powder and ensured him the pocks would go away with age. “Arthur,” he whined, looking away as he stepped back from the older man, “stop touching me like that. It’s embarrassing.”

“I’ll touch you any way I like, Alfred.” Arthur snapped, but it lacked some heat in his tone. He didn’t want an argument, especially not after their explosive one earlier in the day. The Queen reached up and gently touched where he’d smacked his consort a few hours before. “How’s your cheek? The swelling has gone down and you can hardly tell you were reprimanded. I do hope you’ve learned your lesson.” Arthur patted Alfred’s cheek once more before holding his arm out. “Well, come along, we have guests to greet.”

xxxxxxxxx

Arthur wasn’t exaggerating when he claimed they had guests to greet. The main hall was filled with a multitude of people, many clad in the vibrant yellow and orange of Diamonds or the sharp purple and deep, midnight blue of Spades. From those boring geography classes Arthur made him attend, Alfred knew perfectly well that Diamonds was always the most likely kingdom to arrive to a Spades’ function first. Their geographical location to the Spadian kingdom put them directly to the East, with only the Ravine separating the two kingdoms. They were the only two kingdoms that shared land, a modern blessing that used to be a curse during the years before the Great Suit War. 

Alfred’s knowledge of the years and events before the last War of Kings was a little fuzzy and riddled with holes. The tutors Arthur hired for him refused to cover those years, probably by the Queen’s own orders. Numerous times they claimed he didn’t need the gritty details of such dark and terrible years. Just the knowledge that the queens of the old world made for an everlasting peace and the magic from those olden days protected him and everyone else. The collar around his neck felt a little more constricting as he thought of the Queen’s magic. 

He’d yet to see Arthur’s true magic in action, but the stories of the olden days told him the Queens possessed powerful magic. During the century long Spades-Diamond War of the fifteen hundreds, the Queen of Diamonds, Anna the Kind Heart, used her magic to carve chunks of land from the earth. She created the Ravine that separated the two kingdoms in hopes of preventing an invasion from either side. Legends claimed she’d done it without her King’s permission and was executed the next week for impeding their invasion of Spades. If he remembered correctly, the Ravine extended from coast-to-coast and was at least nine feet deep and nine feet wide. It was nearly impossible to cross without building some kind of bridge. After Queen Anna’s death, the King of Diamonds, Henri the Cunning, created three draw bridges to use as points of entrance into Spades. They could pull the bridges up in the event of a possible invasion from Spades side. 

Not that a true invasion was possible from either kingdom. During the same time, the Queen of Spades, William the Brave, used his magic to create the dense forest that protected the eastern border. The Great Forest, now more commonly called the ‘Fairy Forest’ because of the unusual stories that came from those that live and work along the edge, was so densely packed that heavy artillery couldn’t maneuver through the trees. Even the horses and soldiers had difficulty passing towards the border of Diamonds. With both kingdoms unable to get passed the obstacles their queens put in their way, the Kings were forced to use their Navies and take the fight away from land. For his crimes against Spades, William was thrown in the traitor’s dungeon and starved until death. It was only after the Queen’s Triumph that some of the trees were cut down to utilize the draw bridges King Henri created. The two kingdoms transformed the old bridges to make way for the inter-kingdom railroad and two other roads that finally connected the kingdoms. 

Of course, just because the kingdoms were no longer warring partners did not mean there were no ill feelings between the people. Rivalries ran deep, especially since Diamonds and Spades found it easier to compete among each other without fear of starting a war. Currently, Diamonds was the reigning champion of the annual Spades-Diamonds Military Games. Spades had been on a ten year winning streak. It was an upset that Queen Arthur still hadn’t forgiven Alfred’s father over. 

Arthur’s nose turned up the moment he spotted the yellow of Diamonds, that old dislike for the kingdom popping up nearly instantly. “Fucking Diamonds,” he hissed, the soft blue crackle of his magical aura developing around him. Pain shot through Alfred’s head, a gasping, choked off whimper left his lips as he scrambled to claw at the collar around his throat. “Fuck. Sorry, love.” Arthur apologized instantly, quickly soothing the pain away with a gentle touch of his hand. The coolness of the magical comfort washed over Alfred nearly instantly. “I forget my emotions sometimes. You’re so young and...”

“And you’re not old enough for him to anchor his magical tension to,” the soft, but strong voice of Queen Lili of Diamonds interrupted from behind Arthur. Alfred had never met her in person, but he knew her portrait. Arthur made sure he knew every royal in the event that he ever met one without his Queen there. Lili, despite being from Diamonds was no exception. She was a petite woman, with a small waist and even smaller chest. Her cropped, corn silk hair fell right along her jaw line, framing her face attractively and bringing out her eyes. Those vibrant green eyes sparkled with just a hint of mirth as she nodded her head towards the Queen of Spades. “Lovely to see you again, Arthur. You’re looking better since the spring and glad to hear you’re not holding a grudge over the Games. Admiral Jones was always a formidable foe, but everyone makes mistakes.”

Arthur’s mouth twisted into a scowl, “Admiral Jones shouldn’t have made such a rookie mistake.” His eyes flicked over to Alfred, because he knew his Consort heard about his father’s public punishment. He’d been so upset for weeks over his father’s demotion. Still was, if the mood hit him. Alfred was already in trouble from earlier this morning, no need to make it worse with him being moody. “There’s always next year, Lili.” He insisted as he turned to introduce Alfred, needing to change the subject. “Now, allow me to introduce my King Consort, Alfred Kirkland.”

Alfred was nudged forward and awkwardly fell into a bow, his cheeks bright red when he lifted up and found Lili scrutinizing him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Queen Lili.” He greeted just as Yao instructed him how. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Alfred.” Lili warmly greeted, reaching out to cup his cheek. It was a strangely intimate gesture, especially since Arthur never allowed anyone to touch him. “Why, you’re a handsome young man. I can see why Arthur’s kept you away from us.” She flicked her eyes over to Arthur as she removed her hand from Alfred’s rosy cheek. “I forgot your King Consort was picked so young for you.” She tilted her head to the side, smiling as she reached backwards to tug on the delicate silver leash that was attached to the collar of her King Consort. “I suppose that’s why you visit us so often. Can’t exactly anchor to a child, can you? It must be getting worse too.” She remarked with a curious eye, clucking her tongue. “You might have to get a bit more physical, if you want to control it, Arthur.”

Arthur’s face reddened as his frown deepened. He pulled Alfred back to his side and avoided looking at the King Consort of Diamonds altogether. “That’s not for young ears, Lili.”

Alfred frowned as he tried to listen a little harder. He wanted to know what was going on. The question was on the tip of his tongue just as Lili reached up to pat the stubble dotted chin of her Consort. “I suppose not. The problem is that you were bound too early. Mistake on your part, Arthur, dear. I was so very blessed that my brother found Francis for me. He’s rather perfect.” 

Francis dipped down to kiss Lili’s cheek, his diadem slipping a little to rest against his hairline. He was a lot taller than Alfred thought he would be. It felt strange to think of a consort being taller than their queen. Maybe that was just because Alfred felt like he would never grow; no matter how much Yao insisted he would one day. 

Francis smiled as he reached up to tuck a flyaway strand of his long, blond hair back behind his ear. “I was blessed to find you, my dear, blessed your dear brother found me worthy of such a queen.” The accented voice purred into her ear, nipping the area as his blue eyes trailed over to Arthur. There was something in those blue eyes that sent Arthur on edge, because the Queen of Spades wrapped his arms around Alfred’s waist and tugged him closer to his side. “Ahh,” Francis hummed, dipping his head towards Alfred, “welcome to the fold, young Alfred, I’ll show you the ropes soon, yes?”

“You’ll do no such thing.” Arthur hissed, putting himself a little in front of Alfred to shield him from the King Consort of Diamonds. For the first time in a long time, Alfred felt fear run up his spine. The adults were playing a game here that he didn’t understand. Oh, he desperately wished that he did. Yao always told him that court politics weren’t something he should learn until he was older, but now he felt like he was missing something huge. Alfred hated feeling like he was stupid. 

“Francis,” Lili chided, tugging on her consort’s leash and startling Alfred out of his stupor, “stop teasing Arthur. You know he’s sensitive about his child bride.” The petite woman smiled as she allowed Francis to wrap his arms around her waist, his head resting a moment on her shoulder. “Arthur, you know he’s only trying to rile you up.” With a soft sigh, she stepped around the two Spadian royals, smiling at the Jack of Diamonds as he appeared with Yao. “It seemed that our rooms are ready. We’ll see you two in the morning, yes?” 

The two Diamonds left, their entourage trailing after them. Yao had spent weeks getting much of the large castle open and ready for the visiting royals. They had to be separated by wing and class. Each royal couple would bring an entourage of at least twenty people who would need to be housed and fed as well. Not to mention most of their court would stay within the capital city to join in on the festivities. All of Spades would be crowded with the four suits there and the exotic merchants bringing in their goods. It would be like one big party for weeks. Alfred wondered if his brother would get to have some fun. From the letters they exchanged, he suspected that Matthew was being overworked. Their father’s demotion damaged their reputation and their finances. In order for his family to make it, Matthew had to stop his schooling and became an apprentice to the local baker. He hated that Matthew couldn’t follow his dreams, especially when his own brother was King Consort and had everything he wanted at his fingertips.

The soft shaking of his arm snapped Alfred out of his thoughts. “Are you even listening to me, Alfred?” Arthur asked, his mouth still twisted into that ugly frown. “I asked if you would like to sit the rest of the greetings out. I…” he looked away, a bit of color leaving his cheeks, “maybe we should have held off another year. I don’t think you’re old enough.”

“Arthur!” He whined softly, shaking his head as he wrapped his hands around Arthur’s arm and shook the limb roughly. “No! I’m sixteen now! That’s practically an adult. I can do this.” Because admitting that he really was bored and kind of creeped out by the Diamonds Consort wasn’t an option. If this was a way to prove to Arthur that he was an adult, then Alfred would stand here and try to understand the political games the other royals were playing. “Please.” Be begged once more, giving Arthur his biggest pout and dipping his head until he felt the diadem shift. 

Arthur sighed as he reached up and adjusted Alfred’s diadem until it was back in its proper position. “Oh, stop giving me those puppy dog eyes.” He leaned forward and brushed a kiss to his consort’s forehead, pulling back to run his thumb over the teenager’s jaw line. “You are getting older, aren’t you? Handsome as well.” He tipped Alfred’s face up and pressed a rather innocent kiss to the corner of his lips. “Maybe it’s time to start teaching you horsemanship. I believe my stallion sired a foal this past week. She’s going to be a beautiful filly.” 

Alfred’s face turned a multitude of colors, beginning with pink and tumbling right into bright red. Arthur always did affectionate stuff like that whenever he was trying to soothe something over. It usually worked, because Alfred was always speechless afterwards. “Arthur.” He said, lifting his eyes to look into the queen’s own before wrapping his arms around Arthur’s neck and hugging him tightly. “You’re the best sometimes. Can we go see her tonight?”

“Maybe after everyone is settled tomorrow.” Arthur promised, smiling as he settled his own arms around Alfred’s waist. He hugged the teenager, burying his nose into his consort’s hair to smell a hint of roses and lavender. Must be the oils in the water the servants poured for them. He released his consort only when he heard the sound of the squires rapping their staffs against the marble floor to announce the arrival of another kingdom. To Arthur’s immediate pleasure, the red and white banner of the Kingdom of Hearts appeared. His old friend and most trusted confidant, Queen Kiku, stepped into the hall with his King Consort Ludwig and bowed deeply to Arthur. Once more a small queen appeared, but Kiku had the dark hair and eyes of someone from the islands of Hearts. His king consort was his exact opposite. Tall, blond, and muscular, Ludwig looked more like a body guard than a King Consort.

“Arthur, it’s been too long.” Kiku greeted, walking forward after the Queen of Spades returned the bow. Kiku had always been a formal person in public, but from the excerpts of letters that Arthur would read to Alfred, he knew they were close. He’d even received a few books on astronomy from the foreign queen after Arthur mentioned that Alfred had an interest in the stars. He cherished those books. His dark eyes turned to take in Alfred, smiling as he bowed towards the consort. “Consort Alfred, I assume?”

Alfred bobbed his head, giving an awkward bow to Kiku. “Thank you for the astronomy books, Queen Kiku. I’ve enjoyed them.” He admitted without missing a beat, smiling as Arthur patted his arm. He’d come to realize that was his queen’s universal sign for ‘good job’. 

“I couldn’t force him to put them down.” Arthur explained, walking over and placing a hand on Kiku’s shoulder, squeezing in affection. “It’s been entirely too long. How are you and Ludwig, old friend?”

Kiku glanced backwards at his stoic consort, placing a hand on his forearm. Alfred was a little intimidated and impressed. The King Consort of Hearts was a large, muscled man. He was a silent presence behind his queen and nodded towards Arthur with this air of cold power about him. The guy was the thing of nightmares; even the tiny diadem upon his head didn’t soften his image. “We are fine, Arthur. I’m sure you’ve heard that we’ve converted one of the outlying islands into a manufacturing hub?”

Arthur’s eyebrows rose nearly into his hairline, shaking his head at that. “No, I wasn’t aware. I thought you were worried about the conservation of the marshes there.” 

“We were, but Ludwig and his researchers have developed a new kind of pump. It pushes all the waste material away from the protected marshes. Uses the same engine as a train would.” Kiku gave his friend a small smile. “We’re expecting to start accepting ships from Diamonds and Spades within the year. Maybe even export our own products the next year.”

“That’s wonderful, Kiku.” Arthur looked thrilled for his friend, but there was a change in his eyes. Alfred knew from his studies that Hearts economy was severely crippled because of their slowness to develop manufacturing. Their economy relied heavily upon tourism and agriculture. There was the push to industrialization at the turn of the century, but their kingdom had the misfortune of possessing a dotting of marshlands along the coast of the kingdom. They were protected waters because of the wildlife there. Ludwig’s development would eventually propel them into competition with Spades, since his pumps would eliminate the threat to the wildlife. To the King Consort of Spades, it seemed that his Queen looked a little worried. “Good work, Ludwig. You two are really turning out to be a good match.” Arthur’s lips dipped into a small frown as he stepped back, “just full of surprises.” 

Kiku seemed to realize there was a shift in the atmosphere and frowned as well. “I’ve always been good at that, right, Arthur?” The Queen of Hearts stood just a bit taller as their Jack appeared, ushering the two Heart royals towards their own rooms. “It seems that Feliciano is ready for us.” Kiku ducked his head once more into a bow, “until next time, old friend.”

The emphasis on the endearment didn’t fly over Alfred’s head and he stepped a bit further away from Arthur as the Queen’s hands balled into fists. That blue aura crackled again, causing the collar around Alfred’s neck to tighten. “Arthur.” He breathed out, reaching up to grab the collar. 

Arthur snapped out of his anger, exhaling deeply through his nose as the aura disappeared. “Apologies, once more, dear. I’m tense for some reason today.” He walked over and tugged Alfred close to him, the soothing feeling spreading throughout them both again. Alfred would really have to find out why that happened to Arthur. Maybe it had something to do with that anchor thing Queen Lili was talking about? Either way, he liked the warm feeling and leaned into it. 

“Why’s that happening, Artie?” He decided to ask, because really he didn’t have anything to lose. Odds were that Clubs wouldn’t get there for a few hours more, since they were the furthest kingdom away. Maybe Arthur was in a sharing mood instead of shutting down all of his questions. 

“It’s complicated, Alfred. Remember how I told you all kingdoms relied on balance? Our kingdom isn’t very balanced at the moment.” That was all the Queen said as he inched away from the young teenager, sighing as he peered out the window to see the darkening sky. “I’ll explain one day, I promise.” Arthur pressed his hands against the edge of the stone windowsill as thunder rolled outside the castle. “I fear Clubs won’t make it before nightfall.” 

Alfred blew his bangs away from his forehead in frustration, because he knew Arthur wasn’t going to tell him. It wasn’t even fair. He was totally almost an adult now. “Are we going to wait here for them?” He hoped not, his feet were beginning to hurt. He hadn’t realized it until Arthur looked out the window, but they’d been in the main corridor for hours. 

“I never have. With the icy waters around Clubs, there’s no telling when they’ll arrive tonight. Elizaveta isn’t known for her punctuality. It’s best if we simply retire for the night.” The queen pushed himself away from the window and turned to offer his arm to Alfred. “Would you join me for a private meal? It’ll be the last chance we have for a few weeks.”

“I’d like that.” Alfred said as he took the offered arm, unconsciously curling close to Arthur’s side. He felt better when he could feel the soft pulse of Arthur’s skin. It soothed him in ways he didn’t fully understand. “Then tomorrow, before the meetings, you’ll take me to meet my filly.”

Arthur chuckled as he nodded his head, patting Alfred’s hand. “Cheeky brat.” He teased as he began leading him deeper into the castle. The different colors of the kingdoms smashed together as servants and nobles walked about. Arthur only had eyes for Alfred, though. “You haven’t even met the foal. She might not even like you.”

“Everyone likes me, Arthur.” Alfred mocked, grinning as he was rewarded a slight bump with Arthur’s hip. The teenager really liked when Arthur was like this. He liked a playful queen instead of the angry glares and authoritarian attitude. “Seriously, I wanna-

“Want to,” Arthur corrected, steering Alfred into the passage that led to his private dining room. “Goodness, lad, I know your tutors are teaching you proper English. Speak it, please.” Arthur just shook his head as he pulled the chair out for his consort, choosing the one across from him to slide into as their food was brought to them. 

Since Yao was entertaining guests and their presences weren’t needed until all the kingdoms were present, the two royals would remain undisturbed for their meal for the night. What a fine meal it would be too. The best chefs from all four kingdoms had been brought together to prepare meals that would delight all that tasted them. Obviously by the end of their meal, there wasn’t a crumb of food left. Most royals enjoyed feasts, especially when the cooks prepared delicacies that they didn’t get to have often. Alfred felt like he practically gorged himself on all the food. The sleepy lull of a full belly moved him towards bed. He didn’t even complain when Arthur took his arm once their meal was done and guided him upstairs. All he wanted to do was sleep. 

Normally, Arthur would drop him off at his room and make sure he was fine for the night. When he was really little, the older teen stayed by his bedside to read him stories. He’d outgrown those stories, but he still enjoyed when Arthur sat on the edge of his bed and quizzed him about his day. Sometimes he even shared with Alfred a little bit about his own day. It was a nice routine that he hated to change. 

Tonight was different. The very air was different and the teenager could feel it. Alfred had been left with a maid. One of his favored nursemaids that still helped him button up the shirt of his pajamas even though he insisted he was old enough to handle that himself. She muttered softly into his ear as she removed the silver diadem to place on his desk. Her hands pushed him towards the bed and tucked him underneath the covers. Her soft, accented voice lulled him into a slight stupor, only broken when the bed dipped behind him. 

Lithe arms wrapped around him and pulled him against a strong chest. Alfred turned his head, opening his eyes to see Arthur climbing into bed behind him. He was a little confused at first, especially when Arthur tucked Alfred’s head underneath his chin and wrapped his fingers around the collar at the consort’s neck. Whenever Arthur sat at his bedside, he always played with his hair or his collar, but he never crawled into bed with him. “Ar’ur?” He questioned with a soft yawn, snuggling back against his queen’s warmth. Surprisingly, the digits pressed against his throat weren’t constricting. They were comforting. 

“Just sleep, love.” Arthur whispered into his ear, the steady hum of something old and powerful enveloping them both. “It’ll all be better in the morning.”

Alfred believed him. Trusted him. His eyes closed and his breathing evened out until he wasn’t aware of anything except the warmth behind him. As he and the castle slept, though, the night guard opened the gates for a sodden green and sliver banner. 

Clubs had arrived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for your reviews. I love reading them and conversing with everyone. I plan to update between Wednesday and Friday, so stay tuned for more!


	3. Conflict at Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clubs has arrived and brings with them trouble.

“Clubs arrived early this morning,” Yao informed Arthur as he placed a breakfast tray in front of Alfred, smacking the teenager’s hands whenever he tried to dip his fingers into the whipped cream decorating the top of his crepes. The pout on the King Consort’s face didn’t even faze the Jack as he slid into the seat beside Arthur, ignoring the disgruntled mutterings from Alfred’s direction. “Elizabeta didn’t seem happy when she arrived, according to the night guard. Ivan was limping.”

“Elizabeta is never happy, Yao, and she takes it out on the only person crazy enough to piss her off.” Arthur drawled, grabbing the newspaper off his tray and flipping to the middle of the paper to read the letters to the editor. Alfred knew from experience that the older man enjoyed tearing apart those letters with scathing criticism. No one knew it, but Arthur usually rebuffed many of the hot button political issues under a pen name. Spades was very much a monarchy, but that didn’t mean the citizens couldn’t protest their government every so often. Those protests were usually misguided attempts to get better funding for social programs and Arthur took an active role in making sure his kingdom didn’t fall into disarray over these things. “If Ivan would learn to listen, then she wouldn’t feel the need to use force.”

“Mwuah…Who’s Ivan..Mwuah..Yao?” Alfred asked around the mouthful of berry and cream cheese, licking his lips free of the white cream from the crepe. 

“Alfred, stop talking with your mouth full.” Yao scolded, grabbing a napkin and holding it out to the teenager. “Honestly, this is why we don’t have guests more often.” 

Arthur chuckled as he closed the paper, folding it up and placing it beside his tray. He reached for his tea, taking a long, satisfying sip of the brew with a pleased smile on his face. The normally quiet Queen looked to be in a chatting mood as he glanced in Alfred’s direction, a smirk on his pretty face. Reaching over with his thumb, he wiped the corner of Alfred’s mouth free of cream, popping his thumb into his own mouth to relish the taste of sugar. “Ivan is the King Consort of Clubs. He’s only a few years older than you and thrice as troublesome. Every time I’ve met him he couldn’t sit properly because Elizabeta caned his legs for one reason or another.” 

Alfred wrinkled his nose up at being called troublesome. He was just adventurous, that wasn’t a bad thing, right? He obviously had the better queen, though. Arthur rarely used physical punishments. It had to be something really bad for him to use the cane or the strap. Ignoring the previous day’s slap to the face, Alfred had been a rather well behaved boy here lately. “He sounds like fun.”

The Queen rolled his eyes, placing his teacup back on the polished table. “He is most certainly not fun, Alfred. Ivan is constantly in trouble and an embarrassment to his Queen.” Arthur locked eyes with the teenager, blue and green staring straight at each other. “I won’t stand for such displays of disrespect. It weakens the kingdom and I’ve worked too hard for Spades to weaken.”

Feeling properly chastised, Alfred ducked his head, his cheeks flooded with pink shame. “I was just jokin’, Arthur.” He placed his fork back on his plate, not feeling like he was up to eating any longer. Sometimes Arthur would look at him a certain way and it felt like he’d done everything wrong. Vaguely, he could remember getting a similar look from his father whenever he’d done something wrong. Thinking about his father brought a bunch of sour feelings to the surface, because he hadn’t seen the man in nearly a year. Maybe after the Council meeting he could visit his family. “I’m nothing like Ivan, right?”

Arthur’s lips turned upwards into a pleased smile, nodding his head as he reached over to pat Alfred’s hand with loving strokes of his fingertips. “You’re just a mischievous young man. Now, if you’re finished with your meal, get dressed because we need to greet Clubs before the meetings begin.”

“But, Arthur,” Alfred whined as he handed his plate away to a servant, “you promised I could go see my filly. Please? I’ll go quick and come right back!”

His Queen was not swayed by Alfred’s begging, shaking his head as he moved back to let the servant remove his tray as well. “Alfred, you need to bathe and get dressed. Between your makeup and attempting to get that hair to actually lie down, it’ll take hours to get you ready.” Arthur stood up, buttoning up his coat as Yao ushered a servant towards Alfred. “When you’re dressed, come meet me in the garden. I’ll be having morning tea with the other queens. It’ll give you an opportunity to meet Elizabeta.”

Yao nodded in agreement as he stood up, “I’ll come collect you after you’ve met Elizabeta. Just because the Queens are here does not excuse you from your lessons.”

“But, Yao!” Alfred groaned, balling his hands into fists as he reluctantly stood up, arms crossed at his chest. The female servant to his side giggled just a little as he tried to puff his chest out in an attempt to look intimidating. 

“No buts.” The Jack snapped, losing just a tiny bit of his normal patience with Alfred because of the immense stress he was under. “We’ll have lessons until lunch and then you’ll join Arthur and everyone else for the meal. No more lollygagging, upstairs, Alfred.” 

Alfred might have huffed and grumbled just a little as he stomped upstairs after the servant. It was a good thing he did, though, because it took a while before he met the strict approval of Arthur’s personal menservants. Just like Arthur said, it took nearly an hour to get him dressed to meet the Queens. He used to think he would like getting to dress up in the expensive clothing and wear his diadem. Reality was that the makeup was itchy and his clothes sweltering. He would have been a lot happier spending the day playing in the gardens or visiting his filly. Speaking of the filly, with the servants scurrying about trying to begin preparations for the luncheon, it gave Alfred an opportunity to be alone. If he couldn’t go visit the foal, maybe he could at least sneak a peak. 

He smirked to himself, picking up the ends of his blue coat and dodging servants as he slipped from his room. The large, ornate windows at the end of his hall faced towards the main road, but the wing that was being used to house Clubs for their visit faced the stables. Alfred needed to get to that hallway. It was fairly easy, especially since the royals were already downstairs with their servants mingling with Spade’s own. The halls were deserted. Alfred was able to slip into the other wing without being stopped and soon found himself with his face pressed against the clear glass in hopes of catching just a glimpse of his prize. It took a few agonizing minutes of searching before he found the golden brown coat of the foal. He knew that was her, because she was the spitting image of Arthur’s stallion. Excitement bloomed in his chest as he thought of finally meeting her after the day’s meetings were over. He even let his mind wander to the picture they would make together. Arthur on his stallion and Alfred on a matching mare would be a strong example for their kingdom.

“You look like a little piggy with your nose squished up like that.” An accented voice spoke from behind him. The suddenness of it startled Alfred and he jumped back from the window with enough force to trip over his own feet. He fell to his bottom with a soft gasp, hissing at the slight pain that shot up his spine. The tall silver haired teenager above him looked amused as he stood there with his hands crossed at his chest. 

Alfred pressed a hand against the heart attempting to beat out of his chest, frowning as he glared up at the newcomer. “You can’t just sneak up on people like that! It’s not polite!” Alfred’s cheeks were bright red as he pulled himself to his feet, “are you even supposed to be here?”

“Maybe that’s the question I should be asking you,” the silver haired teenager replied, smirking at the Spade royal. “I’m Ivan Braginski, King of Clubs.” Deep purple eyes landed on the silver band wrapped around Alfred’s forehead. “You must be Alfred of Spades. Elizabeta told me to stay away from you.” 

“You mean King Consort,” Alfred pointed out, wondering if this was truly the same teenager Arthur was talking about just a few hours before. He could sense this aura of arrogance all around the teenager. There was little surprise that he was constantly in trouble with his Queen with such an attitude. “And,” he snapped with a deep frown marring his young face, “if your Queen said to stay away from me, then maybe you should. I wouldn’t wanna risk another caning, if I were you, because more than just the night guard will see it this time.” The young boy’s tongue always turned sharp when he was uncomfortable. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was speaking of things that he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stop himself. 

For a split second, fury passed over Ivan’s face and Alfred feared he was moments away from being struck. Then, just as quickly as it appeared, that face froze right back into the previous sneer. “So naïve and stupid.” He said with a condescending roll of his eyes. “I’m not afraid of anything Elizabeta can do to me. I do what I want, when I want. It’s the proper way of Kings.” He brought his hand up and shoved Alfred’s shoulder back, eyes challenging him as he looked towards the stables. “True kings don’t let their Queens order them around. I bet if Arthur ordered you to jump, you’d ask how high.”

Alfred gasped a little as he was shoved backwards, glaring at the bigger male. “Arthur doesn’t exert his power over me like that! He respects me.” Surely this newcomer didn’t have any room to judge the relationship between the Spadian royals, especially when his own relationship was terrible. “The Queens rule and we follow. That’s the way of our world.”

Ivan snorted, poking Alfred in the chest with his index finger. “That’s the way they want the world to run.” He flicked his eyes to the window behind Alfred, watching the young foal shakily walking around the enclosure. “Doesn’t matter. I’ve heard all about you. You’re Arthur’s good little boy. The child bride that everyone pities because he can’t do anything without his Queen holding his hand.” 

The sixteen-year-old snarled at this man of Clubs, using all his anger to push Ivan backwards. Alfred hated when anyone talked down to him. It was his special pet peeve and never failed to boil his blood. “You shut your fucking mouth.” His lips tingled as he cursed. Arthur didn’t believe those words were proper for his King Consort and a bit of guilt built up in his chest. Normally he wouldn’t use them, but his anger bubbled hotly inside and he needed to prove to this newcomer that he had his own mind and was responsible for his own reactions. “I can do anything I want, when I want.”

The King Consort of Clubs smirked as he shrugged; leaning against the wall Alfred pushed him against. “Then prove it.” Ivan pushed himself away from the wall and walked to the window. His knuckles rattled against the glass. “You were staring at that horse with such longing. I bet it’s a gift you’re not allowed to touch yet. If you can do whatever you want, why don’t you go visit your foal.” His smirk turned teasing as he rolled his eyes at the younger teenager. “Oh, right, I forgot, I bet Arthur told you not to.”

“Arthur doesn’t control me.” Alfred growled out, even if his voice cracked with the lie. “I could go out there right now and visit that filly.” He turned on his heel, the blue coat flapping behind him. Alfred knew he could get in trouble for disobeying Arthur, but this desire to prove Ivan wrong won against his instincts. He’d just sneak out there and see the filly before leaving quickly. That way Ivan would look like an idiot and Arthur wouldn’t even know he’d disobeyed. It would work out perfectly. 

“I’ll believe it when I see it, Alfred.” Ivan called after the Spadian, violet eyes shining with mischief as he waited for Alfred to disappear down the hall. Ivan wouldn’t consider himself a bad person, but little boys who spoke about situations they knew nothing about got what was coming to them. Alfred couldn’t turn the other King Consorts against him, or he’d quickly learn they could cause him the most pain. When the hall was clear, Ivan turned on his heel and carefully took the servant’s corridor into the garden. He trained his face to one of the most childish innocence as he strolled into the garden. He took his place beside Queen Elizabeta, subtly humming as he waited for a lull in the conversation. 

“Now, Arthur,” the brown haired queen prompted as she swirled her spoon around her murky tea, “you’ve teased us all morning with promises of meeting Alfred. Where is the boy?” She flicked her green eyes over to the Queen of Spades as he peered down at his watch. 

“Has it really been nearly two hours?” Arthur mumbled as he double-checked his time, wrinkling his nose up as he turned to peer back towards the palace. Where was his consort? “I sent him to prepare himself hours ago. This is unlike Alfred.” 

Ivan giggled, finding that his Queen jerked her head towards him at the sound. “Yes, Ivan? Is there something you’d like to add to this conversation?”

Francis and Ludwig both shared a look that made Ivan giggle a little louder. “Alfred’s a little distracted at the moment.” He played with the ends of his long scarf as his Queen rapped her knuckles against the arm of her chair to prompt him again. “I believe he said something about going to visit a filly?”

Those words were all he needed to see Arthur’s face turn pale with fury. The Spadian Queen stood up, roughly setting his teacup on the table with a loud ‘clink’. If those around the table looked close enough, they would even see a faint crack running up the side of the delicate porcelain. “Forgive me, friends, I’ll be back shortly.” Arthur stomped away, his back tense as he walked closer and closer to the stable. He hoped desperately that Alfred wasn’t in that stable. It seemed that his hopes weren’t going to come true. He stopped in the doorway of the stable as he watched his King Consort pet the young filly, happily feeding her a sugar cube. Anger boiled in Arthur’s veins, because this was a direct violation of his orders. His magic crackled, making Alfred jump and suddenly turn to stare in his Queen’s eyes. “What are you doing out here, Alfred Kirkland?”

Bright blue eyes widened as he dropped the sugar cube, trembling as Arthur’s power washed over him. He could barely breath, but he made a step for his Queen. “Art…”

“Don’t speak Alfred.” Arthur hissed out, exhaling as he struggled to keep his anger from getting out of control. “I don’t want to hear a single thing out of your mouth right now.” He stalked over, grabbing his consort’s wrist to tug him away from the stables. “I gave you specific orders to keep away from the stables. Did you listen to those orders? No, you didn’t.” He exhaled sharply as his magic crackled again. “How in the world will I ever be able to trust you if you can’t even follow a simple order?” 

Alfred stammered to explain the situation with Ivan, but it seemed that his queen wanted to hear nothing about Ivan. “Arthur, please,” he begged softly, trying to tug his arm away from his queen, “it wasn’t my fault. Ivan forced me to do it.” As Arthur tightened his grip on his arm, he cried out in pain. “Ouch! You’re hurting my arm, Arthur.”

Arthur growled low in his throat, tugging Alfred towards a bench set up alongside the garden hedges. He’d never been one for public punishment, but his consort needed to understand the seriousness of his crime. As he calmed himself down, Arthur realized that he could hear the other royals just on the other side of the hedge. He would make sure Alfred realized it as well, so he knew they would hear him if he got loud. “That’s not the point, Alfred. I specially told you not to come to the stables. You should have followed that order.” Without a second thought, he tugged Alfred into his lap, digging his fingers into the waistband of Alfred’s pants and tugging them down. “You’re sixteen-years-old, Alfred, that’s almost a man. A man doesn’t blame others for his actions. I don’t care what Ivan did or did not do. He’s not the one that went to the stables. He’s beside his queen acting like a proper consort.” 

“Arthur, wait!” Alfred tried to protest, but the first smack on his ass drew out a soft yelp. The next four had him squirming around on Arthur’s lap. Finally, as Arthur’s hand seemed to hit the same raw, sensitive spot over and over again, the young Consort collapsed into soft sobs. Over and over he chanted out an apology and it was only then did Arthur stop and pressed his hand over the heated flesh. A fresh row of goosebumps erupted over the skin, making Alfred hiss in pain. 

“I don’t want to punish you like this, Alfred.” The Queen whispered softly, gently massaging the abused flesh. “I just can’t have you disobeying direct orders, not while everyone is here. I’ve introduced you as my King Consort, which means you have a set of rules that you’ll need to follow. Listening to me is the most important rule.” He carefully tugged Alfred’s trousers back over his ass, sighing as he forced the teenager to stand. He wiped the tear tracks away with his thumb. “Go to your room and wait for me. I’ll tell everyone that you’re feeling ill.”

Alfred didn’t wait for the next order. He raced away from Arthur, sobbing softly as he tried to get as far away from his Queen as he could. It wasn’t fair that the Queen didn’t listen to him. Yes, Alfred went to the stables under his own free will, but Ivan goaded him into it. He rubbed his cheeks as he climbed the stairs, running past Yao and a few servants before throwing himself into his bed. He curled underneath his blankets and continued soothing his wounded pride. 

Arthur returned to the other Queens, frowning as he saw Elizabeta’s smug smile. “What?” He snapped at the woman as she shrugged between sips of her tea. He hated that woman’s smug smile. “Elizabeta, please, if you have something to say then tell me.”

The brown haired woman just shrugged as she locked eyes with Arthur. “Lilli and I were just admiring your technique. Those smacks sounded like they left nice welts. Alfred will feel those for a while.” She cackled as she carded her fingers through Ivan’s hair. “It seems like Arthur’s perfect consort isn’t as perfect as he wanted everyone to think. Next time he misbehaves, you should punish him in front of an audience. Public humiliation works wonders for a bratty consort.”

The Spadian’s stomach squirmed uncomfortably, but with Lilli nodding in agreement and Kiku adding his own approval, Arthur wondered if he was the only queen that did not enjoy the punishments he dealt to his consort. Arthur would never understand the arousal that came from causing pain. He only wanted Alfred to smile and laugh. Those tears always made him feel like his entire world was falling apart. He had to punish Alfred in order to discipline him, but he would never take joy in those punishments. It just wasn’t right. 

When morning tea finally ended, Yao appeared to lead the royals into the meeting room. Arthur excused himself from the group to disappear into the palace. Without much effort, he found himself sitting along the edge of Alfred’s bed as the consort ignored his presence. “You can ignore me, that’s fine.” He said softly as his hand played with a tube of salve that would soothe the burning skin on Alfred’s backside. “I shouldn’t have been so short with you, but you know..”

“That,” Alfred’s watery voice cut him off, “Spades can only be strong if the Queen and King Consort are strong.” He grew quiet for a moment before turning to look at his queen. “I only went to the stables because of Ivan. He baited me.”

Arthur sighed as he gently tugged the covers away from Alfred and instructed him to tug his waistband down. Rough fingers spread the cool salve over soft pink welts. “I told you Ivan was trouble, Al.” He reminded softly, pulling the sheet over Alfred’s backside to protect his modesty. “He knows you’re hot headed and is trying to bait you. I’ve bragged on you so much to these people and any way to make you look bad works in Ivan’s favor.” He leaned down and tugged Alfred’s face up to place a light kiss against his nose. “You’re a good lad, Alfred. I know you are, but I can’t ignore disobedience.”

Alfred just sniffled again, ducking his head back to hide underneath his pillow. He felt ashamed and stupid. Ashamed for his punishment that he was sure everyone heard and stupid because he fell right into Ivan’s hand. He lifted his head just as Arthur stood up and ruffled his hair. “Arthur,” he began slowly, “I am sorry.”

The Queen nodded, “I know you are, Alfred.” He stroked the consort’s cheek slowly. “For the rest of the day you’re grounded. Yao will come to give your lessons after lunch and then you’ll retire to your bedroom once more. I’ll come up after the feast to see you.” Arthur gave his consort a quick once-over before walking out the bedchamber door. 

The sixteen-year-old lay there curled against his pillows for a few moments later until his door opened once more. Confused, the Spadian lifted his head up to look at the door, blinking in confusion as the King Consort of Diamonds stood there. “Mon ami,” his voice without that sensual purr sounded rough on the young man’s ears, “we need to have a discussion.” Alfred felt a heavy stone settle in his stomach. “What do you know about the Queen’s Triumph?” The question was curious, but there was such a hint of steel behind those words. Alfred knew the older man was not just gauging his knowledge, but also something else. He didn’t know exactly what Francis was looking for in his response, but he gave the only one he knew how to give. 

“The four great Queens of the Suits came together to stop the last War of Kings. The chaos of the unstable Kings magic turned them insane and caused bloodlust to grow in their hearts.” Alfred turned onto his side before gingering attempting to sit up, “the Queens saved the land by removing magic from them. Every Spadian schoolchild knows the story.” He hadn’t meant the last little bit as a slight towards the education system of Diamonds, but he didn’t understand why Francis was quizzing him on elementary education. “I don’t understand….”

“You’re not wrong about that,” Francis interrupted as he walked over to lock the door. His nose wrinkled in disgust once he realized the door had no lock. “Of course,” he scoffed as he grabbed a chair and jabbed it underneath the doorknob to prevent any unwanted interruption. He returned to stand near Alfred’s bed. “You don’t understand because you’re young and ignorant to the problem.” 

Alfred’s hotheadedness reared its ugly head as he jumped from his bed and shoved Francis away from him. “Don’t call me stupid.” For all his bravery, the pain from his punishment made him wince with every brave step. “If you’re going to insult me, just leave.” Instead of leaving, Francis gave a little chuckle. He gently ushered Alfred back to bed, but not before waving his hand over his backside. A sickly spark of orangish-yellow mist settled over Alfred before the pain disappeared. His shock made him pliant and easy to maneuver back in bed. “You..you shouldn’t be able to do magic. Why can you?”

Francis sat down with the same stony expression on his face as he waved the mist away. “That’s a pathetic example of the true power of my magic. The magic I can feel pulsing underneath my skin, but locked away by my Queen.” He snagged the edge of his golden collar with a halfhearted tug. “I didn’t call you stupid, young one. You’re just…young. Arthur’s your entire world and to you he can do no wrong. You’ve been…led to believe things that might not be completely true. You’ve been raised in a revisionist society.”

“What do you mean?” Despite his age, Alfred’s voice sounded so young to his own ears. King Consorts had their magic bound to prevent the chaotic forces from infecting their minds. It was practically the first lesson he’d been given once he arrived at the castle. Arthur’s magic was gorgeous and mesmerizing. He’d been so disappointed to learn his own was so ugly and useless. Seeing another King Consort with the ability to perform small bouts of magic made him surprisingly angry and jealous. Hearing Francis speak out against his education made him distrustful and unsure. 

“Who said the king’s magic was chaotic and unstable?”

The question was glaringly pointed and Alfred’s breath hitched as he scrambled to answer. “The Queens..”

“Exactly,” Francis exclaimed with a jubilant grin, “the Queens declared that it was the bloodlust of Louis the Heartless of Diamonds and Mary V of Spades that began the last War of Kings. Their inability to control their magic infected their minds and ruined life for everyone. They set fire to Little Quartz village on the Diamonds coastal border with their rage. Hundreds of men, women, and children died.” He gave a little huff as he leaned closer to Alfred. “That can’t be true, though.”

Alfred’s face gave away his disagreement. “It has to be true. It’s written in all the history books and taught to every child.” As if reciting his lessons, he pointed towards a large, ornate map of the world on his wall. “In retaliation for their crimes against Little Quartz, Queen Natalia of Clubs and Empress Fredrick of Hearts petitioned their kings to give aid to Little Quartz. Instead of their advancing armies protecting the village, their kings ordered their armies to take advantage of a weakened Diamonds. King Viktor nearly captured Diamond’s capital before the four Queens met in secret to create a plan to stop their kings. You live there! You’ve seen the damages.” 

Francis shook his head, “I’ve seen broken windows and exploded brick. I’ve seen the burn marks left by unfamiliar magic. I’ve seen exactly what Daniel the Fierce, Alice the Wise, Queen Natalia, and Empress Fredrick wanted us to see. I see their…. deceit. I see their lies. I see their greed. There’s no way Mary V of Spades could have attacked Little Quartz. She was in Hearts meeting Emperor Lena and I found a diary to prove it. Hidden in a secret wall in the library at the Palace. It’s Louis’ personal journal. The kings suspected their queens were moving against them. They..they were afraid of their growing power.” 

“You’re crazy, Francis, and you’re going to get me in trouble. You have to leave, now.” Alfred grabbed the top of his duvet and pulled it tighter around his shoulders. “There’s no way they were able to..to….manipulate history. How do you even know the journal is real? It could be a fake.”

Francis’ face grew cold and stony as he glanced down at the child. “The Queens are able to manipulate the very fabric of our society. Of course they can manipulate history, Alfred. The victors write history. They have the magic and attempted to take ours away.” He rubbed his hands together as another tiny, weak spark of magic jumped to life between them. “I don’t think the Queens were able to take our magic away completely.” He swirled his fingers so the magic dissipated. “I wouldn’t be able to do this if that were true.” 

Alfred held his own hand out and tried to concentrate on making something happen. All he did was give himself a pounding headache, “I can’t do it.” He flexed his fingers again, “it’s…it’s for the best, right? King’s Magic made them insane. Can..can you feel it poisoning your mind?”

“No,” Francis said firmly, “I feel more relief than I have since the Mark appeared on my shoulder. I feel good. Clear. I feel like I can question these half-truths far more clearly.” He reached out to tug on Alfred’s collar, “I used to think it was the collar that caused the binding, but that’s not possible. Whenever I remove it, my magic is still sealed. I don’t…I don’t know how they sealed the magic, but I’m afraid their hold on it is slowly weakening. We could rule again, Alfred. We could bring about a revolution.”

There was such a strange look in his eyes that Alfred certainly didn’t contradict him. “Why would you want a revolution, Francis? They bring death and destruction.”

“You’d rather stay underneath the heel of your Queen?”

That accusatory tone had Alfred’s hackled raised. “Arthur’s not so bad, really. He punishes me, but he loves me too. He does it because I need to be a good King Consort. I love him. He’s…he’s my Queen. My husband.” 

Francis raised a delicately manicured eyebrow at the younger King Consort, “did you know in other circumstances, a husband that hits his spouse would be considered an abuser? Arthur is a twisted, malicious man that thrives on his power. He doesn’t have love in his heart. Only opportunity and greed. He’s not even faithful to you.” 

“What?”

Francis sounded like a gossiping old crone as he hissed out a soft, almost pitying ‘you didn’t know’? “There’s a reason Lilli called you his child bride. Despite Arthur’s glaringly obvious malicious tendencies, he refuses to touch you before you’re of age. At least he has some good qualities.”

Alfred tossed the blankets away from him to sit on his knees, “Arthur touches me all the time.”

“Not sexually,” Francis gave a little roll of his shoulders as he leaned away from Alfred. “That’s something else you’re in the dark about. Arthur can’t stabilize his magic with a child, so Diamonds has graciously allowed him to stabilize his magic with us.” His eyes bore into Alfred’s own, as if he was trying to make the teenager understand. “In fact, my Queen has declared we’re to spend the night together after the ball tonight. Arthur’s accidental magic is becoming a problem for everyone around him and as your closest allies, Diamonds has always offered themselves up for this opportunity.” 

Alfred wasn’t an idiot. He knew what the Diamond’s King Consort was implying. Arthur’s monthly trips to Diamonds weren’t just diplomatic. He was going to fuck Francis. Hot anger settled at the base of his spine. Diamonds was their closest ally, but this was a personal betrayal. Was it really that necessary for Arthur to stabilize his magic? Or, was this a ploy from Diamonds to fracture Spades? Francis stirring up trouble between the two monarchs was a good way to wreck the foundations of Spades. “I don’t believe you,” he stammered furiously. “You’re just…you’re just causing trouble…just like Ivan. I’ve had enough of getting in trouble because of others.”

Francis’ lips thinned as he stood up. “You can believe that right now, but one day you’ll see the truth. I’ll be waiting for the arrival of that day because I know you’ll be a valuable ally. I bid you a good night, Alfred.”

Francis’ departure left Alfred feeling alone and a little apprehensive. He tried to settle back into bed, but the knowledge that the party was raging downstairs kept him awake. If he hadn’t gotten in trouble, he would have made an appearance at the feast and maybe danced a few reels. He would have been sent to bed well before midnight, but at least he would have been able to watch Arthur. It was the uncomfortable worry that had him sneaking from his room. He was lucky the guards were needed in the main ballroom tonight or he wouldn’t have been able to make it down the hallways undetected. He slipped behind pillars as the rambunctious party continued without him. 

He watched Arthur drink pint after pint until his cheeks turned a bright pink and be became overly affectionate with everyone around him. Jealousy burned in Alfred’s chest, but he couldn’t slip closer or he would risk being discovered. Arthur would skin him alive if he caught him outside his bedroom right now. 

For nearly half an hour, he watched the party until it began to wind down. Since he didn’t want to risk getting caught, he slipped back through the servant’s hallways and into the corridor of his bedroom. As quietly as possible, he opened the door exiting the servant’s hallway to see if the corridor was clear. 

It wasn’t. 

Francis stood pressed against the wall of the hallway with Arthur’s fingers tangled in his hair and their lips smashed together. Alfred gasped softly in surprise, but it was covered up by the impatient moan of Arthur and the tinkling laughter of Queen Lilli. 

“Hurry now,” she chided as she opened Arthur’s bedroom door, “we don’t have all night.” 

Alfred waited until the trio was inside Arthur’s bedroom before disappearing to his own bedroom. He tried to tell himself the wetness on his cheeks was from the excitement of the evening and not an overwhelming sense of disappointment.


	4. The Wild Card

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What more secrets does Spades have to keep from him?

“In the 7th century of Spadian history, we see the emergence of an industrialized society. Of course, with all the positives of an industrialized society you also had several negatives…”

Alfred was supposed to be taking notes as his tutor, Toris, chatted about Ancient Spadian history. Except, Alfred hadn’t slept a wink last night after watching Arthur kiss Francis. He was torn. Had the Consort of Diamonds been telling the truth about everything? It was obvious he wasn’t lying about their sexual relationship. Should he take any of his information with a grain of salt? Should he ask Toris about a potential false narrative in history? Would the man even answer him?

Toris was a soft tutor. He let Alfred get away with quite a few things and always brought him something sweet as a surprise for doing well in his lessons. He might not be a child anymore, but Alfred had a major sweet tooth. He also had a major problem paying attention to the lesson right now. 

His eyes never strayed far from the large windows in the library that overlooked the garden. He could see the Queen of Hearts, Kiku, chatting with Arthur as they sipped tea and walked amongst the roses. Was Arthur going to kiss him too?

That hot feeling of shame and anger bubbled inside his chest before he furiously turned away to stare at Toris. The man’s lips were drawn into a thin line as he stood there with his book in hand. “Your Highness,” he sat the book across the tabletop, “you are even more distracted than normal today. Care to share what has you so melancholy?” He leaned against the table as he crossed his arms over his chest, giving Alfred a stare down. 

For the first time, Alfred found himself unable to meet those eyes. Could he even trust him? Could he trust anyone? It was better to just ignore the growing resentment in his stomach. Better to just pretend everything was alright. Better to ignore, well, everything. “It’s fine, Toris. Just tired today.”

If the man saw through his lies, he never said anything about it. He gave a little sigh before closing the book in front of him. “With all the excitement happening in the castle, I’m sure lessons are the last thing you want to do.” He glanced towards the window, smiling at the scene below and completely misinterpreting Alfred’s wistful glances. “Go,” he told him. “Have fun while you can. It’s not every day Spades gets to hold the Suits.” 

While Alfred certainly didn’t want to get excited over anything to do with the other Suits, he was thankful to get out of his lessons. He raced down the corridor with his books tucked against his chest and stopped at his room only long enough to toss his books through the halfway opened door. They skidded to a stop somewhere near his dresser as he turned tail and raced across the corridor again. 

He’d spent so much of his childhood exploring these hallways and secret corridors that he was almost certain to know more about the castle than Yao or Arthur. When he was little, he could remember Arthur playing with him in some of them, but that didn’t last long. The demands of the kingdom meant his sometimes-guardian-sometimes-friend was away more and more. After all, it was the Queen that handled domestic disputes. That left Alfred by himself quite a bit and without a true childhood companion, he’d fancied himself an explorer. 

He knew that there was a secret corridor that led to the side garden. You couldn’t get to the side garden from the main garden because it was built specifically for a past king’s rendezvous with his mistresses. (He’d learned that little tidbit doing his own research.) Since Alfred desperately needed to be outside for some fresh air, he slipped into the main library and wiggled his way behind the secret half-door that led into the secret passage into the side garden. He imagined what it would have been like to sneak around like this just for a quick shag. It didn’t seem worth it, honestly. 

As Alfred stepped into the sunlight, it wasn’t the blooming roses that caught his attention. No, it was the muted sound of dull metal clanking together and the cocky laugh of an unfamiliar voice. Curious, the young man inched around a column to spy a shirtless King Ludwig with a bent and misshapen practice sword in one hand. He was crouched on the ground, blue eyes intense as he stared at his opponent, a wild-looking, white-haired and red-eyed devil. Alfred had never seen anything like him before and automatically assumed he was watching an assassination attempt. He took a step back, upsetting a pot, and startling Ludwig from his concentration. The white-haired man took that as an excuse to attack and tapped his dull blade against Ludwig’s shoulder. 

“You lose Lud!” The man chirped, turning his crimson eyes to Alfred. “What do we have here? If it isn’t the little King of Spades.” He dropped into a low bow, smile manic as he pulled back to his full height. “Oh,” he grinned, “you’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?”

“Brother,” Ludwig scolded, grabbing the man’s shoulder and pulling him away. The King of Hearts turned to Alfred, glancing between his training sword and the young king, “Ignore Gilbert. He’s not supposed to be here, but he always manages to pop up at the worse moment.”

“What is he?”

“Rude,” the man, Gilbert, chided as he stalked over to circle the Spadian King. “You truly don’t know me, little king?” He ignored the scolding of his brother as he stalked closer to Alfred. “I am many things, both terrible and great. I control magic with the ease your Queen wishes he had,” he snapped his fingers and the roses around Alfred grew to ginormous size, “I can create and destroy without any rhyme or reason.” He snapped his fingers again and the flowers disappeared completely. “I am chaos, Alfred Jones. I am the Black Joker.”

If that was supposed to inspire some revelation, it was completely lost on the teenager. He tilted his head to the side and placed his hands on his hips, “what does that mean?”

Gilbert growled in frustration, turning around to glare at his chuckling brother. “Shut up, Ludwig!” He let out a sharp sigh as he returned to glance at Alfred. “It mostly means I pop up every so often to cause a bit of chaos here and there. You know, like hiding the Queen of Clubs favorite book or starting a war. The usual.” 

Once more, Alfred found himself at a loss. He’d never heard of the Jokers, nor realized other people could have control over magic. He had so many questions and so few answers. “I thought only Queens had magic.”

The brothers shared a look as Ludwig knelt down to retrieve his practice sword. Surprisingly, it was Gilbert that gave the young man a sad smile. “The Queens have manipulated public opinion for centuries now. There’s such a long list of things only Queens can do.” 

“Magic,” Ludwig mocked with a little roll of his eyes, “diplomacy, ruling,” he raised the sword in Gilbert’s direction, “can’t forget swordplay.” He parried, laughing as he had to sidestep another attack. “Queens tell you all these things you can’t do but forget that unfair limitations make people want to break them.”

Alfred watched them for a while. Admiring the way Ludwig and Gilbert moved in the morning sun. King-consorts weren’t allowed to become involved in the military and that included sword training. What was once a hallmark of the kings had become just another limitation. Alfred wouldn’t deny wanting to learn. He’d read enough adventure books about brave knights rushing off to war and seen the guards practicing on the training grounds to know it was something he wanted. With the two in front of him seemingly effortlessly moving, he impulsively decided he wanted to try to. “I want to learn,” he interrupted, “please?”

Ludwig made a grimace as he glanced over at Gilbert. “Alfred,” he said slowly, “swordsmanship is one of the few things I have with Gilbert. It’s not easy to learn and I cannot risk Kiku finding out I’m disobeying this rule.”

Honestly, Alfred should have expected this response. His face fell, but he overall understood the reasoning. He went to insist it was fine when Gilbert interrupted him. “Wait a second, Lud. Alfred might just be a good candidate for Gilbert’s School of Swordsmanship.” He stepped closer to Alfred, tapping his finger over his lip. “If you can answer this riddle, I’ll train you.”

A riddle? The Joker wanted him to answer a riddle? This all had to be some insane joke and he expected Arthur to step out at any moment and laugh at him. None of that happened, though. Instead, he found himself agreeing to the riddle.

“You can carry it everywhere you go, and it does not get heavy. What is it?”

What the fuck did Gilbert mean ‘what is it’? He was at a loss. Alfred frowned as he sat down in the sun and peered up at the cloudless sky. Across from him, the two brothers had returned to their practice. What was something he carried everywhere he went? His clothes, obviously, and his title, but both of those things grew heavy. He didn’t necessarily carry a reputation, nor did he carry his father’s sins. What else did he always have on him? Well, besides his name. 

His name. 

Alfred jumped up, “a name! It’s my name!” 

Gilbert laughed as he dodged a strike from Ludwig. “Only took him half an hour. Told you he’s going to be a smart one.” He twirled around Ludwig and jabbed him near the ribs before accepting his brother’s yield and stealing his sword. The Joker stomped over to Alfred with the offered practice sword. “Let’s see if you can give it a try. You’ve been watching us. Let’s see what you’ve picked up.”

Alfred expected to jump into the fray and dazzle them all with his prowess. Instead, he got his ass handed to him. Each time he inched forward, Gilbert was there to tap his knees, elbows, or hips with the sword. Each time he attempted to block, the man would sidestep him and knock him onto his ass. Each time he stood up, he found himself knocked right back down. Yet, each time he was knocked back down, he got right back into the fray. It continued for a while with Gilbert’s laughter echoing around the garden in a haunting tune and Ludwig giving him pointers from the sidelines. In the end, Alfred collapsed to the ground covered in bruises and exhausted. 

“Harder than it looks, right?” Gilbert questioned with a strange look in his crimson eyes. “You’ll get there. I’ll make sure of it.” He held his hand out for Alfred to take, but when he pulled away, Alfred found himself holding an ornate key. As he flipped it over in his hand, the Joker gave him a wink. “You’ve got moxie kid. Don’t lose it. It’s important.”

Unsure if Gilbert was speaking of the key or his moxie, Alfred reached out to ask him, but the Joker was gone. Ludwig was gone, too. He glanced around and found himself utterly alone with a singular key with a Spade carved into the handle. 

Keys opened doors, right? 

But, which doors?


End file.
